Jewish Women's Archive
Founded in 1995, the Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) was established on the premise that the history of Jewish women—both celebrated and unheralded—must be considered systematically and creatively in order to produce a more meaningful historical record. From the beginning, it believed that access to the stories and achievement of historical role models would transform the way contemporary Jewish women of all generations contemplate their own stories and their ability to respond to the challenges of their own moment. In the 1990s, JWA pioneered the use of digital tools in the creation of an archive for the twenty-first century. It has engaged in extensive educational outreach programs, pioneered inclusive oral history, effectively used social media to engage countless users, and responded to local, national, and global crises.
Origins
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An important origin story can be traced to the attendance by JWA’s founder, Gail Twersky Reimer (b. 1950) at a Jewish Funders’ Conference in 1995, where attendees were asked to read a powerful recent essay by Leonard Fein, a noted Jewish social justice thought leader and activist. Reimer asked Fein if he realized that his list of inspiring historical exemplars failed to include a single woman. According to Reimer, Fein responded by asking “where would I go to find out about such women?” In Reimer’s mind, that was the moment that cemented her commitment to an idea she had been developing that would soon become the Jewish Women’s Archive.
Another important motivation for Reimer related to the massive effort being made at the time to document the destruction of European Jewry, through oral history projects and the recently dedicated United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Although Reimer was herself the daughter of survivors, she could not help but believe that the level of resources being devoted to documenting the ultimate assault upon Jews and the Jewish community should be complemented by dedicated efforts to capture the creativity and contributions that went into building a living and vibrant American Jewish community.
Reimer, who holds a Ph.D. in English literature, had already been contemplating the importance of bringing the lens of women’s experience to Jewish experience. Along with a faculty position at Wellesley College and work for the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, Reimer had co-edited two books focused on women’s readings of Biblical texts and Jewish liturgies. Determined to turn her attention to historical experience, she began to convene conversations and reach out for funding for a new kind of public history effort that would focus on excavating and sharing the rich experience and contributions of Jewish women, with an initial focus on the American experience.
Early Work
Pre-eminent Jewish feminist philanthropist Barbara Dobkin credits her grandmother, the neighborhood “key-holder” for the Jewish National Fund zedakah boxes, for instilling in her a life-long passion for large-scale giving to the global Jewish community. Co-founder of MA’YAN: The Jewish Women’s Project and former chair of The Jewish Women’s Archive, Dobkin has established and funded numerous projects that seek to raise the status of Jewish women and build the self-esteem of Jewish women and girls.
Photographer: Joan Roth.
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Pioneering Inclusive Oral History
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350 Years of American Jewish Women’s History
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Exhibits, Curricula, and Other Resources
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Change in Leadership
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Responding to Crises
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Future
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Before you close this article, please consider supporting the Jewish Women’s Archive and uplifting Jewish women’s voices.
At JWA, we preserve the voices of Jewish women and gender-expansive people past and present, share them freely with millions online, and empower a new generation of Jewish feminists to lead with courage, creativity, and conviction.
But none of this happens without you. JWA is an independent nonprofit— we rely on people, like you, who believe that history belongs to all of us and that the voices of Jewish women must remain powerful, and heard.
This month, a generous JWA board member will match every gift dollar for dollar—up to $35,000—through June 30. Your contribution goes twice as far right now.
Every contribution—no matter the size—helps us document, teach, and inspire through Jewish women’s stories.
It takes less than a minute to make a difference.
Thank you for being a part of the JWA community,
Judith Rosenbaum, CEO
